When Heathrow saturates or London City fogs in, Gatwick catches the overflow — and a planeload of people with cars, hotels and connections at the other airport lands 40 miles from all of them. The recovery is a solved problem: fixed inter-airport fares, name-board pickups, receipts for the claim.
Landed already? WhatsApp beats the rank queue
Car in the T5 multi-storey, hotel by T2, tomorrow's connection from T3 — the diversion moved you, not your plans. Gatwick–Heathrow from £74 fixed, 45–70 minutes by hour of day, either direction. Ask about the airline's coach first; when it's hours away, the receipt makes your case later.
London City's short, steep approach closes in fog long before Gatwick blinks — winter's classic swap. Docklands, Canary Wharf and the City are a fixed-fare run from the Gatwick forecourt at any hour: about an hour to E14 at night, name board up on arrival.
Landed at midnight into a Gatwick whose trains are thinning fast? The night silo covers the mechanics — Gatwick at 2am, late-night London runs from £96 — and a diversion simply means booking before the other two hundred passengers reach the forecourt. WhatsApp from the taxiway; board the car from arrivals.
Airline-responsibility diversions normally put onward transport on the airline — provided, or reimbursed within reason. Extraordinary causes (weather, ATC) change compensation, not care. Keep the itemised receipt, note times and what staff said, and read the claims guide on the ride home.
Destination + party size in — fixed quote, name board, receipt, done.